With the introduction of video and audio elements into HTML5, both have become key design features in many web projects. But do you know exactly how they work?

In this short video tutorial from my course on Understanding Video on the Web, I'll explain what a video codec is in clear, simple terms.

You’ll discover that all media must be compressed using a codec. You will also be introduced to the formats that use those codecs, and you'll learn which ones are standard in the HTML5 universe—and why.

Watch the Tutorial

Watch the Full Course

The full course, Understanding Video on the Web, is designed for those you who are new to the subject of HTML5 video. It covers the fundamentals of creating, adding and manipulating video in an HTML5 web page. 

By the end of this course, you will:

• understand how to create an mp4, webm and ogg file for inclusion in a web page
• use a variety of HTML5 elements and attributes to add video and audio files to a web page
• use CSS to control positioning and create some rather interesting effects
• discover alternate methods for the inclusion and playback of video in a web page
• learn how to make video and audio accessible to those with physical and cognitive disabilities

And if you need more help with creating video for the web, you can find a range of useful video elements on Envato Market.

Learn Video Editing

We've built a complete guide to help you learn how to edit videos, whether you're just getting started with the basics or you want to master video editing and post-production.